Friday, September 30, 2011

Thank you to all who made the auction a success! If you are a winning bidder, you can contact Ellen Orndorf at eorndorf@umn.edu for details Friday, September 30, or we will begin contacting everyone next week to arrange details of pick up of your items.

Thursday, September 29, 2011

There are just a few more hours to bid on some fantastic items and experiences in our fundraising online auction! The Raptor Center offers several fun opportunities alone; we offer the opportunity to release a rehabilitated raptor back into the wild; spend a day behind the scenes with our TRC staff; or have some of our winged ambassadors come to your home! (Please read disclaimers on all items.) Due to the amount of activity on our auction, we will extend the time of closing from 6:30pm to 8:00pm tonight. Good luck, and thank you for helping The Raptor Center!

Wednesday, September 28, 2011

The Raptor Center is excited to highlight these very special packages to lucky winning bidders of our fundraising online auction! NFL Hall of Famer, multiple Pro Bowler and your #64 Minnesota Viking Randall McDaniel has generously donated several items, including a signed jersey, signed Hall of Fame yearbook from his 2009 induction, and autographed mini-football and mini-helmet with 2009 inscription!

We also put together a true "Minneapolis Classic" with a $30 Punch Pizza giftcard, two vouchers for Mill City Museum, a $25 giftcard to Joe's Garage,a $30 giftcard to Punch Pizza, and finally four sets of two-ticket passes to any Patrick's Cabaret event. Click here for these and many other items and experiences!

Tuesday, September 27, 2011

Only two more days left to bid on items in our fundraiser online auction! Click here to see the packages of items and experiences! One fabulous package lets you experience/remember all that the University of Minneosta has to offer; Package includes: 1-year University of Minnesota Alumni Association membership and gift basket (comprised of an Alumni Association t-shirt, 22oz Alumni Association water bottle, a black leather Alumni Association keychain, an AlumniAassociation pen and an Alumni Association notepad with calculator), Dinner for 2 at the Campus Club located in Coffman Memorial Union ($50 value), 2 Tickets for Jin Xing Dance Theater Performance (Feb 18, 2012) at Northrop Auditorium, and One-Year Dual-Level Museum Membership to the Weisman Art Muesum.

Thursday, September 22, 2011

Please plan to come out to our fall public raptor release on Saturday, September 24! It is at Carpenter St Croix Valley Nature Center, in Hastings, MN. The event is from 10:00am to 3:00pm. Karen Kaler, wife of new University of Minnesota President Eric Kaler, is one of several folks who will release several rehabilitated raptors back into the wild. This is a great FREE family event!

On Tuesday, September 27, please join us for the first in our Raptor Tails series: "Feathers and Flight - Fabulous Feathers and Migration. The Raptor Tails series are activity-oriented learning experiences for ages 3-5 about raptors and their environment. Children will hear stories, take part in activities, and get to meet a live raptor each session. The goal of this program is for pre-schoolers to develop a positive relationship with raptors and the environment.

Tuesday, September 20, 2011

The Raptor Center applies a federal band to most of the rehabilitated raptors released back to the wild. Although only an average of 5 band returns a year are received, the information these provide is invaluable in critiquing our rehabilitation techniques and in learning more about raptor movements and behavior.

Last week, we received band return information on a bald eagle we admitted on 11/13/2005. At that time, this female eagle, weighing in at 4430g, was 3-4 years old. She had been shot in Wanamingo, MN and suffered a fractured left ulna (one of the bones in the middle of the wing) along with bruising and swelling of tissues where the projectile entered. Dr. Hugo Lopez, a veterinarian from Portugal, performed the surgery to repair the wing and the bird recovered well. She was reconditioned over the winter months and released at Carpenter Nature Center in Hastings on 3/18/2006. She survived 6 and ½ years after that traumatic event and was recovered northeast of the Hwy 56 bridge along the Cannon River last week. We do not know how or why she died, but are grateful that our skill and compassion gave her several more years to soar in blue skies, and that the silver band she wore from that time forward was able to provide us with feedback on our efforts.

Friday, September 16, 2011

The Raptor Center has received 489 patients so far this year. We currently have 65 patients. Some are in individual patient cages while their injuries heal. Others are in large flight rooms or outside in the rehabilitation courtyard for exercise before their release. The following table shows the patient census by species:

Monday, September 12, 2011

Now is your chance to spend a day “behind the scenes” at The Raptor Center with Dr. Julia Ponder and other TRC staff members. From experiencing wildlife rehabilitation to training education birds, get a peek at the fascinating work done every day at The Raptor Center. Thisincredible opportunity is only one of manyunique experiences that you can bid on when you access TRC’s online auction. (Please note: the photos shown are of students, staff and volunteers, who have been trained in working with raptors.)

The auction will go live September 13 at 8:00 a.m. and close at 6:30 p.m. September 29. Once you access the auction, you will have the opportunity to bid on many fabulous experiences and items, including gift cards for some of the Twin Cities’ most popular venues: hotels, restaurants, theaters, sporting events, and weekend getaways. Go to http://www.winningcause.org/ Sept. 13 to begin your bidding. All proceeds benefit TRC.

Friday, September 9, 2011

Wouldn't you love to go somewhere warm? Or exciting and different? How about bidding on an $800 Delta Vacations gift card, courtesy of MLT Vacations? This is just one more item that you can win with our online auction - it starts September 13!

Thursday, September 8, 2011

The Raptor Center is holding an online auction that starts September 13! One of the items to bid on is this Apple iPad 2! This is only one of many unique items and experiences that you can bid on when you access TRC’s online auction.

The auction will go live September 13 at 8:00 a.m. and close at 6:30 p.m. September 29. Once you access the auction, you will have the opportunity to bid on many fabulous experiences anditems, including gift cards for some of the Twin Cities’ most popular venues: hotels, restaurants, theaters, sporting events, and weekend getaways. Go to www.WinningCause.org Sept. 13 to begin your bidding. All proceeds benefit TRC.

Wednesday, September 7, 2011

TRC is one of the main acts at the Renaissance festival, every weekend from August 20 - October 2. Times of presentations are 10:00am, 11:00am, 12:30pm, and 4:00pm. Here, Adam Barnett of TRC introduces some of our winged ambassadors and the roles their species played in society and culture several hundred years ago.

Tuesday, September 6, 2011

The University's fall semester starts today! As part of Welcome Week for freshman, The College of Food, Agriculture and Natural Resource Sciences (CFANS) coordinated an Amazing Race exercise to get them acquainted with the St Paul campus. This group - the Rad Raptors - met Education Program Manager Gail Buhl and one of our winged ambassadors at The Raptor Center.

Friday, September 2, 2011

In recognition of International Vulture Awareness Day on September 3, The Raptor Center would like to share exciting news about a former patient! Remember the nestling turkey vulture TRC admitted back in June? Well 2 & ½ months later, he took his first flight over the crystal clear blue skies of Antigo, WI. He was released at a traditional turkey vulture roost site (or overnight rest spot) that is frequented by up to 40 vultures every night. His transition from his foster parents to this wild flock was smooth and he now graces the skies as he spreads his wings to soar over the area he calls home. A special thank you is extended to the Raptor Education Group in Antigo for their assistance raising this special patient.